12:09.3N 68:16.8W

 

We visited Bonaire twice while down in the ABCs.  The first time was just a couple of days, during Rebecca and Algy’s visit, during which we rented a car and visited the Washington Slagbaai National Park.  The second visit was a stop off just before our transit across the Caribbean, as we make our way north to Antigua.

 

It is a breeze to check in and out of Bonaire because Customs and Immigration are co-located in a building that is right next to the commercial dock, with a dinghy tie-up.  There is no anchoring anywhere in Bonaire, you have to pay $10 a day for a mooring ball, but it is worth every penny because the back of your boat is literally over the edge of the reef, with fish and turtles swimming around.  The moorings are wide open to the west, but very calm in the normal trade winds, and the openness has the advantage of your being in crystal clear water.

 

After a very enjoyable first visit we wanted to spend a couple of weeks there the second time, but the wind predictions meant that we had to cut our visit short.  Still, we can stop by again when we next head for Panama.

 

Most of the time the water was crystal clear (we had one disappointing snorkel after a rainstorm)

 

We saw several of these Sharptail Snake Eels that we have not seen anywhere except the ABCs.

 

Colourful lizards at the park visitors’ centre, looking for any dropped food

 

The park attendants make it easy to identify the gents toilet

 

We got closer to flamingos than on any other Caribbean island

 

The park has many other birds including this green hummingbird

 

The yellow-shouldered parrot is the park’s most famous resident , but we never saw one of those.